Instep-protector.



No. 881,079. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

P; WxJoLITz.

INSTBP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1.1906.'

dfz' Wf/ZZ'ZL W1 TNESSES [NVE/v TOR.

, f v v ATTORNEYS 'lng''at West Buluth, in the. county of St.v

Louis and State of Minnesota, have inventedl FRIEDRICH WILHELMr JoLiTZ, or WEST nULUrH, MINNESOTA.

rNsrEr-rnorncron.

massime.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IPatented March 3, 1908.

Application filed November 1, 1906. SeraL'No. 341,618.

'whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM QLITZ, a citizen oi the United States, resid- .anew aard useful Instep-Protector, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an instep protectol'v of that type designed for use on the under side of theshank of a shoe or boot to reinforce the shank and to receive the Wear from a shovel or spade during digging, spading, tampingties, and similar operations, and also to protect the instep of the foot from A-tweoming sore.

.The invention has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character which is of andinexpensive construction, capaof being readily and iirnily secured to e shoe, and which possesses increased use- V A- further object of the invention is to prodevice on a boot orshoe.

l as will appear as the nature of the invention.

With these objects in vieiv7 and others,

is better understood, the invention cornprises the various novel features ioiconstrucn tion and arrangement of parts, which will be more full described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Inthe accompanying drawing, Which illustrates 'one 'of the embodiments ot the invention, Figure l is a partial perspective view protector is made.

of a shoe, inverted, showing the instep protector applied thereto. lFig. 2 is a partial side elevation of a shoe, partly broken away at the instep protector and showing the latter in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the blank from which the Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the protector. Corresponding parts inthe several iigures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

Referring to the drawing, l designates the sole of a shoe,- 2 the shank ot the sole, and 3 fthe heel.- Onuthe bottom surface of the shank 2, the instep protector 4 is arranged. p

l A'The protector o'r device 4 is made of any suitable material, such, for instance, as sheet 4plate or blank 5.

metal oi suitable gageto provide ample stiliness and to stand the wear for a considerable length of time. f

this blank 5 is provided with a pair of sharp members or spurs 6 at one end which project in the general direction of the length of the rl`hese spurs are spaced apart and are flush With the curved edges 7 ot' the plate 5, and between the spurs is formed a tongue 8 having a centralaperture '9. Atthe pointed end of the plate opposite from the spurs is an aperture 10, the said aperture, in connection with the aperture 9, being adapted to receive screws or other fastening devices whereby the completed article is attached to the shoe. blank is formed,` the tongue Sis turned out laterally trom between the spur 6 into a plane at right angles to the body of the plate 5, so as to forni a lug which is intended to bear against the iront vertical surface et the heel 3. During the next operation, the plate 5 is pressed, so that on its upper tace, that is, the face presented to the shank 2 of the shoe, it

Will be convex in longitudinal dimension,'

.serve secondarily to stitien the plate 5.

(lir'iously, the protector can be made by casting, it desired, and the' construction Will be substantially the saine as that ot the article just described, that is to say, it will.

include the plate 5, spurs 6, the apertured `lug 8, the transverse corrugations or ribs i3,

and the aperture l0. if desired, the ribs 13 can be omitted.

ln applying the protector to a shoe, the plate 5 is presented to the shank of the shoe with the lcorrugations 13 on the outside, and

the longitudinal center liue'oil the plate Will After the readily appreciated by those skilled in will abut the front 14 of the heel A screw, Y

nail, or other suitable fastening, 15, which is driven into the heel'through the aperture 9 of the lug 8, operates, in connection with the v4spur 6, to firmly hold the heel end of the prop ate tecto'r in position. The front end of the is ysecured to the shank of the shoe by any suitable fastening, such as a screw 16, as shown in Fig. 1, or a clench nail or rivet 17, as shown in Fig. 2.'

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction will pe t e art to which the invention appertains. The plate of the device is of substantial construction so as to stilen the shank of the shoe and prevent it from breaking and thus add great] tothe life of the shoe and also prevent t 1e instep of the foot from being injured.

` The Wear from Contact With'the upper edge of the blade oi' the spade or shovel takes place on the flat portions 18, and the trans# verse ridges or corrugations 13, serve to pre vent the shovel or spade from turning by its coming in contactvvith stones, roots, and

otherobjects,las the blade is penetrated into the earth.

l have described 'the principle of operation of the invention, together with the a parat-us which l now consider to be the Ilbest embodiment thereof, but I. desire to have it understood that the a paratus shown is. merely illustrative, and t iat various changes may be made, When desired, as are Within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is A l 1. An instep protector comprising a plate having at one end an out-turned apertured lug and a plurality of outstanding transv versely-extending ribs spaced on the plate and from the lug, the portions of the plate between thenadjacent ribs and between the lug and rib adjacent thereto being comparatively flat.

2. An instep protector comprising a plate apertured at one end, a pair of spurs at the other end of the plate, an apertured lug yon v the plate yadjacent to and between the s urs and extending at right angles to the p ate, and a plurality of spaced transversely extending ribs projecting from the plate.

3. An inste protector comprising aplate of sheet meta Wider at itsrearvthan at its front end and provided at the rear end With a central outturned flange and a rearwardlyprojecting stud on each' side of the flange in the -planeof the plate, a perforation being provided in the flan e and plate for securing the protectorv to the ieel and soleof the shoe, and a plurality of parallel ribson the plate between its front end and the flange.

4.' As an article of manufacture, an instep protector consisting of a plate of sheet metal provided near each end With an oriiice and on one f ace with a plurality of spaced transverse ribs and having its rear end broader thanits iront end, the rear end being formed With a broad, short central lug disposed transversely at right angles to theribbed face of the plate and With a sharp spur on each side of the lug.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRIEDRICH WILHELM J O'LITZ.

lVitnesses 1 JOHN C. ABRAHAMSON, W. B. GETCHELL. 

